Best light hands down for coral tank

[Reefnoob5]

Hey everyone. New to the saltwater hobby. Only have done freshwater most my life. Putting together a 90 gallon tank that I plant to have corals and reefs in and fish of course. What’s the best light bar none for a tank like mine? Thank you for any help!

 

[Biokabe]

There is no "Best light, bar none," for a tank like yours, especially since we don't know what kind of corals you want to keep. The light that you need for a tank filled with zoanthids, xenia and toadstools is different to the light you need for acropora.

The first thing you need to decide is which lighting technology you want to use: LED? Metal Halide? T5? Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but all three are capable of supporting an awesome reef. Briefly:

• LEDs tend to be more flexible, with lots of customizability. Lower electricity usage, less heat, but they tend to be more expensive to purchase and require a little bit more from you to really get the best results.
• T5s offer lots of color blending options, so you can really dial in some good spectrum for your corals. Very good spread, you tend to get an even 'blanket' of light with T5s. Bulbs need to be replaced regularly (every 12-18 months), and some people think that they make your tank look 'flat'. Middle of the road in terms of heat and electricity.
• Metal Halides used to be the gold standard, and some people still consider them as such. Brilliant coloration possible and good growth, but they are absolute hogs when it come to electricity and will also heat up your tank enough that you might actually need a chiller.

Then you need to decide on your goals: Which corals do you want? How fast do you want them to grow? Do you care more about growth or color?

Once we know that, then we can tell you what lights you might want to look into.

 

[Reefnoob5]

There is no "Best light, bar none," for a tank like yours, especially since we don't know what kind of corals you want to keep. The light that you need for a tank filled with zoanthids, xenia and toadstools is different to the light you need for acropora.

The first thing you need to decide is which lighting technology you want to use: LED? Metal Halide? T5? Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but all three are capable of supporting an awesome reef. Briefly:

• LEDs tend to be more flexible, with lots of customizability. Lower electricity usage, less heat, but they tend to be more expensive to purchase and require a little bit more from you to really get the best results.
• T5s offer lots of color blending options, so you can really dial in some good spectrum for your corals. Very good spread, you tend to get an even 'blanket' of light with T5s. Bulbs need to be replaced regularly (every 12-18 months), and some people think that they make your tank look 'flat'. Middle of the road in terms of heat and electricity.
• Metal Halides used to be the gold standard, and some people still consider them as such. Brilliant coloration possible and good growth, but they are absolute hogs when it come to electricity and will also heat up your tank enough that you might actually need a chiller.

Then you need to decide on your goals: Which corals do you want? How fast do you want them to grow? Do you care more about growth or color?

Once we know that, then we can tell you what lights you might want to look into.

I definitely want led lights. And I’d like to grow soft coral along with other kinds.

 

[14 foot reef]

Seems like you have a lot of planning and learning to do. You should start watching the BRSTV videos. There series will save you thousands of dollars in the buying it twice category we have all went through.

 

[MONTANTK]

This is a very subjective question as many people have many different experiences. If you’re just looking to keep soft corals mixed with LPS then you have a ton of options!

-2 AI Hydra 32s
-Reef Breeder Photonv2 48
-2 Radion XR15s

The Hydras and Photon would be cheaper than the Radions but all would allow you to keep just about anything.

 

[Tamberav]

You ask for best light then say only led... pfft...

There is no best LED. Pick one that has features and spread you like for your budget. Likely any name brand and even Chinese brands will grow soft coral.

 

[nicholas2010e]

i highly recommend you look at the new orbit r24 reef LED. great price and they are coming with mount for a limited time.

 

[Oldreefer44]

Too many to mention that will work. I would put light choice well below water quality and patience as your keys to success. This is coming from someone who has over $3k invested in lighting for my tank.

 

[Reefnoob5]

This is a very subjective question as many people have many different experiences. If you’re just looking to keep soft corals mixed with LPS then you have a ton of options!

-2 AI Hydra 32s
-Reef Breeder Photonv2 48
-2 Radion XR15s

The Hydras and Photon would be cheaper than the Radions but all would allow you to keep just about anything.

I was actually looking at the radions. Would you go with the pro or the blue?

 

[nukemdanno]

• Metal Halides used to be the gold standard, and some people still consider them as such. Brilliant coloration possible and good growth, but they are absolute hogs when it come to electricity and will also heat up your tank enough that you might actually need a chiller.

100% agreed. On my previous reef I ran halides. And yes I had to run a chiller plus a fan directly over my sump for evaporative cooling.

This tank I run Kessil A360x. I ultimately gave these a shot because they produce the shimmer effect that halides give off.

Plus one to everyone else in the thread. There are so many options just figure out what your looking for out of the light, functionality, & programmability.

 

[Reefnoob5]

100% agreed. On my previous reef I ran halides. And yes I had to run a chiller plus a fan directly over my sump for evaporative cooling.

This tank I run Kessil A360x. I ultimately gave these a shot because they produce the shimmer effect that halides give off.

Plus one to everyone else in the thread. There are so many options just figure out what your looking for out of the light, functionality, & programmability.

I have the a360x for my freshwater tank and love them. Would two a360x lights be plenty for a 90 gallon?

 

[MONTANTK]

I was actually looking at the radions. Would you go with the pro or the blue?

I don’t have extensive experience with Radions but I believe the general preference on here is toward the pros

 

[Reefnoob5]

Too many to mention that will work. I would put light choice well below water quality and patience as your keys to success. This is coming from someone who has over $3k invested in lighting for my tank.

Thanks man. I have my sump so far. Am picking up a nice protein skimmer tomorrow. Plan on having a refugeum. Is a carbon reactor something I should have or would you mind telling me things that are must haves before I spend money on lights. Thanks for any help!

 

[Jekyl]

I have the a360x for my freshwater tank and love them. Would two a360x lights be plenty for a 90 gallon?

I use 2 kessil 360's on my 90 and they're perfect

 

[rtparty]

Can't say you want the best lights, bar none and then say LEDs in the same sentence.

The best light out there is the sun. The technology that most closely replicates the sun is metal halide. They ARE the gold standard. The best of the best. Cream of the crop. Do they have some drawbacks? I guess but there isn't a lighting technology that doesn't.

So here are some facts because there is already misinfomation in this thread. A watt is a watt. Doesn't matter which light source it comes from. Use 200w of LEDs or 200w of halides and you get 200w of heat. Just depends where that heat goes. For some, this is the make or break part. Some people literally can not take ANY extra heat into the tank. These people are in the minority. The vast majority of us run heaters to keep the tank warm enough. In my case, my tank sits in a 66F basement. I LOVE any extra heat I can get especially if it enters the water. For someone in Florida where it is 95F and 100% humidity, halides can hurt them.

My 250w Reef Brite pendants run warm to the touch and does not add enough heat to my tank to even worry about. My tank and the room it sits in have not increased in temperature one bit since going from LEDs to halides. I monitor this 24/7.

Do LEDs have some benefits that others don't? Absolutely. They are lighter weight and usually easier to mount. There are a lot of choices in the LED world and they are not created equal. There are only three LEDs I would even consider after running many of them over the last 10 years. ATI Straton, SKY, and the Coral Care in that order. I ran Radions for close to a year just barely and they were good lights. I just think the others I mentioned have benefits over the Radion.

So, there is a best light available and it is halides. Best for you? Maybe not.

 

[nukemdanno]

I have the a360x for my freshwater tank and love them. Would two a360x lights be plenty for a 90 gallon?

You'd have to be strategic about coral placement. I believe the Kessil spec is one fixture per 12" of tank length. IE your sps that like high light need to be directly under the lights. I have two on my 55gal with no issues. My tank is a mixed reef so my coral is all spread out and looking good.

 

[mdb_talon]

So here are some facts because there is already misinfomation in this thread. A watt is a watt. Doesn't matter which light source it comes from. Use 200w of LEDs or 200w of halides and you get 200w of heat. Just depends where that heat goes.

That is accurate but completely misleading. Yes all lights create heat. Any electrical component consuming electricity produces heat. However LED bulbs are much more efficient in converting electricity to light than are metal halides. So a 200 watt mh and a 200 watt led produce the same amount of heat, but that is only half the story. 200 watts of led produce much more light than 200 watt metal halide.

I say this as a big fan of MH lights, but there is a lot of good reason the hobby has largely moved away from them. They are inefficient relative to LED and they project the heat into the tank rather than led where it can be sucked into a heatsink and dissipated away from the tank.

If cost was not a factor i would still use all MH and would argue it is the best. However to get equal amounts of light between the two it takes much more electricity(and heat)

 

[Reefnoob5]

So this is a bit off topic but I got a Fiji cube sump kit for a 20 gallon long tank. I wish I would’ve just gotten the 29 gallon since I have a 29 gallon that I forgot about. Is the 20 gallon long big enough for my 90 gallon? And yes I’m the type of guy that will be decking my sump out over time. The only different between a 29 and 20 is that the 29 is a little taller so I should be able to spread it out the same

 

[rhines]

the best light on the market right now without a doubt is the Orphek V4 Atlantik. Very expensive in overkill but the objective best LED lighting fixture.

 

[mdb_talon]

I would definetely use the 29 between the two. 20g for a 90 does bot leave much room for water when the power goes out.